Walvis Bay Namibia

[Buzz Control]

I have been told that Virgin plan to start services into Walvis Bay Namibia once the terminal has been rebuilt. The runway & taxi-ways have been extended & widened. Anybody out there got any further info?

[PAXboy]

You might want to ask this in African Aviation forum. Walvis Bay is TINY. Where would the service be from, do you think? Do you mean Virgin Nigeria or Virgin Atlantic? If VS are planning to go to Namibia, then they would go to the capital city Windhoek (WDH).

[5711N0205W]

http://www.economist.com.na/content/view/2630/33/

Walvis bay was tiny, perhaps this (linked above) may shed some light on the situation.

Written by Staff Reporters
Friday, 07 December 2007
Work on the runway at the Walvis Bay Airport is progressing well. The installation of landing lights is complete and the entire airport has been fenced off.


The Walvis Bay Airport is being expanded with financial assistance, about N$320 million, from the Spanish government. Upon completion, the airport will have the same status as the Hosea Kutako International Airport in Windhoek.
Travellers to Namibia will no longer have to land at Hosea Kutako Aiport from their countries. The airport will also be ideal for cargo from the Namibia Ports Company's Walvis Bay Port, to other foreign countries. Although not yet complete the airport is already said to have attracted interests from several airlines who wish to use Walvis Bay as a refuelling point between Saudi Arabia, West Africa and the USA.

The runway is being extended from 30 metres to and 60 metres wide and the length is being extended from 2.5 kilometres to 3.5 kilometres. This will enable the runway to accommodate the bigger and larger cargo planes such as the Boeing 747.

The upgrading work at the airport started in August 2006. Further a new instrument landing has also been installed to assist landings in case of heavy mist or fog.

“The lengthened runway offers the positive impact that this may have to the long term income of the Namibian Airport Company and the possibilities of using Walvis Bay as a diversion airport,” the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication has earlier said about the upgrading of the airport.

The programme is faced by some delays, however, which may derail the completion deadline set for 2008.

The earlier contractors, a Portuguese firm, had to pull out of the contract. Also the earlier designs had to be improved due to the mist and foggy nature of Walvis Bay.

The construction work is now contracted to a Namibian construction company. However work to enlarge the existing terminal still has to start. The terminal is going to be enlarged to accommodate 500 passengers from its current 200 passenger capacity.

[goldeneye]

I would think it will be Virgin Nigeria if anyone, Namibia is not a big destination for the UK market, more popular with the Germans.

[PAXboy]

Well, that is most interesting. What an expansion!!! I would agree about Virgin Nigeria.

[126,7]

There is not much of a demand even for Virgin Nigeria to fly to Walvis Bay. The cargo market is where the future is, for now anyway. The tourists who visit that part of the world are few, the rest all go to Smakopmund, direct.

[OCEAN WUN ZERO]

Is it not Walvis Bay that will be the gateway to a certain Island 1200 nm west????
:)